Running-gear for wagons.



No. 656,803. Patented Aug. 28, |900.l

A. BUEKER.

RUNNING GEAR FOR WAGUNS.

(Application filed Nov. 20, 18994) (No Model.)

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rvr-rn Arnim"` RUNNING-GEAR FOR WAGONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,803, dated August 28, 1900.

Application filed November 20, 1899. Serial No. 737,717. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANTON BOEKER, a citizen of the United States of America,and a resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Running-Gear for Wagons, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to improvements in wagons for childrens use, such as are made of malleable iron, wrought-iron, and steel; and the objects of my improvements are, lirst, to produce a wagon running-gear made entirely of steel; second, to construct it out of the ordin ary stock sizes of steel; third, to construct it without either forging or welding its parts; fourth, to produce the same by the cutting, bending, punching, and riveting of its parts cold, and, fifth, to produce a cheaper wagon, which is stronger and simpler in its construction. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my invention complete. Fig. II is an enlarged front view of the center portion. Fig. III is an enlarged vertical center cut section of the front center portion. Fig. IV is an enlarged vertical center cut section of the back portion. Fig. V is an enlarged vertical cut section ot' the front turn-table parts. Fig. VI is an enlarged vertical view of the axle and the end of the bolster before clenching. Fig. VIIAis an enlarged vertical view of the axle and the end of the bolster after clenching.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views. g

In Fig. I the bottom board of the wagon box or bed is represented by A, to the under side of which are attached the front and back portions of the running gear by means of bolts or screws.

The rear portion of the running-gear consists of a flat strip of steelgwhich is bent so as to form the back bench B. The straight portion of it above, that forms a batten across the bottom board A,is provided with bolt-holes b3 b3 to secure it to the bottom boardA, and the two end portions, that are bent down,form the knees, that give elevation to the bottom board A above the back axle O. I prefer rather to make the three portions of this back bench of separate pieces, the fiat hatten-strip having the knees riveted to the under side of it and holes for bolts through the two parts to secure them to the bottom board A, as shown in Fig. I. These two knee portionsare provided with holes at their ends, through which the axle C `is inserted. These holes are punched round to the size of the axle, and the axle at these two points is provided with indentations' c c', and when the axle is in position in the hole the metal of the knee is forced into the indentation c by pressure or blows, (as shown at Z9', Fig. VIL) thus securing the knees to the axle, as shown, the same being done both in the front and back axle. The ends of thew axles are provided with threads for nuts to retain the wheels on them, and the inside ends of the wheel-hubs find their stop and bearing always the same against the ends of the back knees on the bac-k bench B and the ends of the front knees on the front bolster D, thus providing for the four wheels and their bearings, the wheels and the bed or box complete not being shown in the drawings, as they do not form a part of my invention in this case; but I add to the back axle O a brace L, which consists of a flat piece of steel or iron, one end of which is provided with a round hole for the axle to go into and the other with a bolt-hole Z Z, to secure it to the bottom board A, the same brace L being twisted with a one-fourth turn and bent so as to bring it iiat against the under side of the bottom board A, as shown in Fig. IV. I design to use one or more of these braces as the strength requires.

The front part of the running-gear consists of the axle O, on which is mounted the bolster D, the two being securedtogether, as already described. The center of the bolster D is provided with a turn-table plate d2, riveted to it, and a pivot-hole through the two which matches a turn-table plate eriveted to the front bench "E above, which is provided also with a center pivot-hole, and above this front bench E is provided with bolt-holes to hold it to the bottom board A and is also arranged with a back brace F, which is bolted in the same manner to the bottom board A, the three arms thus forming lateral and back braces when bolted firmly to the bottom board. Below the bolster D is a clip or angleplate G, through the lower end of which the axle C passes, and the upper end is provided with a pivot-hole, and thus all of the-se several front parts are held together by one pivot bolt or rivet K and gives support and elevation to the front end of the bottom board A, as shown in Fig. III, and allows the two turn-table plates e3 and cl2 to turn on each other and form what is called the fifthwheel. To the front bolster D are riveted two tongue-straps H H, to the outer forwardprojecting ends of which is pivoted the tongue I at the point h2, Fig. I, which tongue is free to rise and fall; but laterally it is held rigidly, so as to form a guide for the wagon, as shown, the said two tongue-straps I-I H each having a one-fourth-turn twist to bring the flat sides of them against the tongue.

I do not design to confine myself to any particular size or any particular curves or angles to the various parts.

Having thus described and illustrated my invention, so that any one skilled in the arts could construct and operate the same, I am aware that metal wagons have been made in various ways, mainly of malleable iron. I therefore do not claim such a construct-ion broadly. I also acknowledge a former application by J. N. Clouse, filed September 6, 1898, Serial No. 690,276, and allowed October 24, 1899, as covering several of the novel features herein shown.

Therefore what I do claim as new im provements, and desire to secure by 'Letters Pattent, is-

1. In a steel running-gear for wagons the combination of the back axle C, having indentations, and the back knees having holes for the said axles to pass through them and remainat said points of indentations, while the metal of the knees is forced into the indentations in the axles securing the two firmly together, also the brace L, around the axle and bolted to thebottom board as described and specilied.

2. In a steel running-gear for wagons as a means for securing the front bolster to the front axle, indentations in the axle and holes in the ends of the bolster to receive the axle at the indentations and the met-al of the bolster forced into the said indentations as shown and described 3. In a steel running-gear for wagons a tongue attachment to the bolster consisting of a right-and-left tongue-strap 4I-I, I-I, riveted to the bolster at the one end and formed with a twist and a bend so that the other ends form a hinge between which the end of the tongue is pivoted as pointed out and described.

Signed by me at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, this 7th day of November, 1899.

ANTON BOEKER.

Witnesses:

EDWARD I-I. WEITZ, W. F. KLENE. 

